Brittany Commisso, one of the women who has accused New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) of sexual harassment, is publicly sharing her story for the first time, telling CBS This Morning that Cuomo "needs to be held accountable."
Last week, the New York attorney general's office released a report detailing allegations of sexual harassment made against Cuomo by 11 women, and stated that he was in violation of federal and state law. In the report, Commisso, referred to as "Executive Assistant No. 1," accused Cuomo of grabbing her multiple times and forcing her into "close and intimate hugs." The governor has denied any wrongdoing.
Commisso told CBS This Morning that what Cuomo "did to me was a crime," adding, "He broke the law." Her allegations are the first ones detailed in the attorney general's report, and she believes that is "due to the nature of the inappropriate conduct that the governor did to me," she told CBS. "I believe that he groped me, he touched me, not only once, but twice." Commisso said it started with hugs and "kisses on the cheek. Then there was at one point a hug, and then when he went to go kiss me on the cheek, he'd quickly turn his head and he kissed me on the lips."
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The governor's mansion is surrounded by state troopers, and Commisso said they "are not there to protect me" but rather Cuomo, and that is why she didn't come forward with her accusations earlier. "I felt as though if I did something to insult him, especially insult him in his own home, it wasn't going to be him that was going to be fired or in trouble," she added. "It was going to be me."
Commisso has also filed a criminal complaint against Cuomo, triggering an investigation by the Albany County Sheriff. Her full interview with CBS This Morning will air on Monday.
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